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Mark Oaten
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I've been impressed with Mark Oaten in the past, and he seems to talk sensible politics on occasion. It seems that the News of the World has caught him with his proverbial trousers down, causing him to resign his front bench position in the party. BBC story
So, another MP ruining his career with sleaze allegations. The only credit to him is that he hasn't denied the allegations.
Would you object if your MP employed the services of a rent boy, or is it a case of only being wrong if it affects his ability to do his job (which was the general consensus on the David Cameron/drugs debacle)?
So, another MP ruining his career with sleaze allegations. The only credit to him is that he hasn't denied the allegations.
Would you object if your MP employed the services of a rent boy, or is it a case of only being wrong if it affects his ability to do his job (which was the general consensus on the David Cameron/drugs debacle)?
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Comments
I agree. Their personal life is not my concern.
And alot of mass media does that, it seems alot of people are interested...
no doubt many of you will defend this as ...this is the ideal ...this is what generations dreamt of ...freedom aye. you won't be able to be nominated as an mp unless you deserted your wifge and kids soon ...cos that will show your a man of the people.
is this where we realy hoped we would be heading?
Of course not, but I don't see how it affects his ability to run the country?
If you are good at running the country, do it. If not, do something you are good at. Ideally, only people who are good at things would do these things.
Have people always been this concerned about storied such as this, or is it becoming more of an issue because of 'celebrity culture', as Kentish says: the NotW is more concerned with printing the dirty details, and ignoring the issue. Thing is, people want to read the dirty details because that is what they do with every other public figure/celebrity.
What the fuck are you on about now you senile old fool?
That’s nice in principle but it completely unrealistic. And if an MP is doing things that are widely perceived to be immoral – adultery, lying and paying for sex why doesn’t the public have a right to know? Politicians are there to represent us and are accountable to us. Oaten’s misdemeanours are of concern to the public.
If Oaten was a bachelor there’d be less of a story here but here I think the News of the World haven’t done much wrong. (Whereas with Sven I think they’ve behaved quite disgustingly).
To go back to Oaten though the way things have turned out for him are unfortunate. I don’t rate him as a politician at all and I think there are far more capable figures in the LibDems but I do feel pretty sorry for him.
Does anyone here actually care? I mean really?
Politically he was right to quit, just as Cook should have when he dumped his wife, but It's not exactly going to make much of an impression on our lives.
I care, I thought he was the best person for the leadership, I've had some dealings with him and I found him to be sharp and politically similar in views to me.
This is just another of those vile stories the Red Tops make the money from, certainly its a crappy thing for him to do to his family, but is it in the 'public interest'? No.
So long as is consenting sex between adults, who cares?
Had Mark Oaten been a campaigner for so-called family values and against adultery, one could see why he had to go.
But he weren't.
What? Because he's a Lib Dem he had an affair?
Its obviously a part of their manifesto which I missed.
What an incredibly mature statement to make. :rolleyes:
I predict melt down for them at the next election with the Tories demolishing the Lib Dems and Labour taking whats left.
The Lib Dems are unlikely to ever become the main opposition party (let alone get in office) for as long as the electoral system remains first past the post. But they will always have their core voters, and they will be continued to be use as a useful tactical vote for both Tory and Labour voters.
I don't expect them to implode any more than the Tories didn't implode in the early 90s with Archer, Mellor et al.
And the Conservatives enjoy a little white line...
Labour are theives...
Who DO we vote for?
Or the Greens.
The fact that he knew it would matter, and the fact that he did it anyway (nevermind that he is a twat for cheating on his wife and hurting his kids, and I personally am far less inclined to vote for a twat) makes you question his judgement, and if you are voting for someone to be in power, they need to have good judgement.......
Contrast though, with the disgraceful attitude of the government's own ministers. For two weeks, Ruth Kelly let the scandal of sex offenders in schools carry on. The Government was being embarrassed day after day, because of a minister who cannot run her own department. She should have been sacked, yet she remains in Cabinet. Ask yourself - a man having a gay affair, or a woman letting paedophiles teach - which is really the worst scandal?
Ruth Kelly’s misdemeanours are something separate and morally I don’t think she has done anything particularly wrong and she seems to be correcting the flaws in the system. Mark Oaten on the other hand hasn’t just had an affair – in fact it’s less that but imo more that he paid for sex and lied to his family and constituents.
I don’t see how his resignation is particularly noble. He resigned because he got caught. Charles Kennedy only stopped denying to a drink problem when the media had evidence to the contrary, if the media hadn’t produced solid proof Kennedy wouldn’t have said a thing. And it’s the same with Oaten. He would have went on lying to his family and probably continued to pay vulnerable young people for sex if the News of the World hadn’t discovered his exploits. Yeah, really noble.
His political career is pretty much over. His seat will turn blue at the next election anyway.